2 new AIHW cancer surveillance reports [AIHW]

Around 55% of women in the target age group of 20-69 took part in the National Cervical Screening Program in 2015 and 2016, with more than 3.8 million women screening.Cervical cancer incidence and mortality have both decreased since the National Cervical Screening Program began in 1991-incidence from 17 to 10 new cases per 100,000 women aged 20-69 and mortality from 4 to 2 deaths per 100,000 women aged 20-69.

Latest findings

1. In 2015-2016, more than 3.8 million women participated in cervical screening. This was 55% of women aged 20-69

2. 10% of women with a negative screen in 2015 rescreened earlier than the recommended 2 years, continuing a downward trend

3. In 2016, for every 1,000 women screened, 7 women had a high-grade abnormality detected by histology

This report presents statistics on the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program using key performance indicators. Of those who were invited to participate in the program between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2016, 41% were screened. Of those, 8% had a positive result warranting further assessment, and 1 in 26 participants who had a follow-up diagnostic assessment was diagnosed with a confirmed or suspected cancer.

Key findings:

1. Of the 3.2 million people invited between January 2015 and December 2016, 41% participated in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program

2. The recurring participation rate in 2015-2016 for people who had taken part in an earlier invitation round and were receiving a subsequent screening invitation was 77%

3. Of participants assessed in 2016 after a positive screening test, 1 in 26 were diagnosed with a confirmed or suspected cancer

4. Since the program began in August 2006, about 4.4 million NBCSP screening tests have been completed

5. The median time from positive screening test result to diagnostic assessment was 54 days.